Yesterday’s vetos by these governments of the latest UN resolution aimed at stopping the murder of and brutalities against Syrians pressing for changes in their country are seen by some as sanctioning President Assad’s methods of holding on to power and ruling the country.
“Using words like “disgusted” and “appalled”, Western diplomats accused Russia and China of holding the council hostage, and of complicity in the policy of repression carried out by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.”
“In broad terms, their decision was coloured by the strategic and commercial interests they have invested in a decades-long alliance with the Assad regime, and by their policy of non-intervention in the affairs of a sovereign state.” In other words, their decisions seem to be based on established ideology and past advantageous arrangements but not on the current situation.
“Rather, the Russians suspected that the observer mission had been hijacked by Qatar and Saudi Arabia (countries hostile to Syria) backed by Western powers, and that their proposal was a thinly disguised attempt at regime change.” Not surprisingly, the very idea of regime change as a result of pressure from the civilian population is absolute anathema to the two countries  - even though that’s how Communist power came about for each of them. Funny, that.
The BBC reports, optimistically, that a separate move by Russia might just be more positive.
The diminishing ice in summer around the Arctic has been in the news for a few years now. Polar bears, apparently, rely on floating ice to access their prey.
There is a lot more ice at the Antarctic. Some of it is floating. There should be loads of their usual stuff to eat, plus penguins.
Would it be worth transporting some Polar Bears to the Antarctic if it might ensure the species survived.
Would they survive?
I’m no zoologist. Could they breed fast enough to damage the ecological balance?
Has this ever been suggested before? Am I missing something?
“The union, which represents thousands of Tube staff, said the money was not an adequate reward for being on duty during the event.” So, why not take your holiday, guys? I’m sure there are plenty of unemployed people in the UK who would queue up for your jobs.
“The union has pointed to other deals, including one of £1,100 for Docklands Light Railway workers. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) … has already agreed Olympics payments of £500 for Network Rail staff and £600 for London Overground workers.”  Me, me, me. I want some, too!
“It is well-documented that transport will be the biggest logistical challenge throughout the Olympics period.” Well, there’s a chance to hold the country to ransom.
“Tube, DLR and London Overground services will run one hour later than usual to cater for those leaving evening events.” Does anyone doubt they’ll be paid extra for working late?
“London Overground, which manages London’s suburban rail network, has agreed to pay its staff an extra 25% for working during the Olympics and Paralympics.” 25% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) – the biggest group representing London’s black-cab drivers – has suggested fares rise by about 15% during the Olympics.” Wouldn’t that be illegal? If journeys take much longer than normal  their meters will clock up extra anyway.
“Bob Oddy, chief of LTDA, which represents about a third of the capital’s 25,000 cabbies, said: “Because of the widespread chaos that’s been predicted during the Olympic period with regard to road closures and other disruption, 40% of our members are currently saying that’s when they’re going to take their summer break.” Yeah, right. I’ll believe that if it happens.
Will you be affected by the traffic etc during the London Olympics? Are you expecting a bonus? Tell us about it.
Am I alone in thinking this way? Am I getting old and hard to please? Is there too much low-quality programming these days?
Years ago I could usually find something interesting on one of the four or five channels available. Now, fifty or more on Freeview to choose from I often end up complaining that there’s nothing worth watching. It doesn’t get much better if I browse through the schedules for all the Sky channels I don’t have access to.
I like cooking and cookery programmes but there are so many on now and the quality is not improving. I like quiz programmes, provided they actually test the contestants’ intelligence, vocabulary and knowledge; such as MasterMind and University Challenge but the format hasn’t changed in, what, 20, 30 years?
None of the Soaps hold any attraction for me now and few of the comedies. Most of the films are repeats and I’ve already watched most of the good ones. Perhaps, when I was teaching full-time and marking half the evening, any sort of entertainment to relax me was welcome and I was just less choosy. Transporter, Die Hard, James Bond; they were all great the first and maybe second time round.
Documentaries can still be excellent viewing: Nature, the Universe, Maths, Science, Engineering and, thank God, several channels still make them. I’m not a football fan but I’ll always watch a F1 Grand Prix and maybe some rugby or tennis.
It was even worse in New Zealand, from my experience, (and USA TV is worse still, if I believe reports I’ve read) which is probably why my son and his wife have a huge pile of DVDs and rarely had live TV on while we were there. He lent me some. I’ve watched three of the films already on evenings when the broadcast offerings seemed more dire than normal and really enjoyed them.
Perhaps I just need to change my viewing habits to avoid becoming a grumpy old man. If all else fails, there’s always BBC News 24.
Actually, there are also books, crosswords, sudoku puzzles, this blog, swimming, gardening, bits of housework and cleaning/painting, my driving job, exam marking and tutoring. I’m not actually addicted to the telly, thank goodness.
Are you addicted/happy with what’s on offer or what?
How much would you expect to earn for 6 months work digging? Factor in no insurance or sick pay, unsocial hours and unsafe working conditions plus having to supply your own clothing and equipment.
I would think £10,000 would be an absolute minimum – per person.
Police aren’t sure how many were involved in this theft but they’d have been better off doing practically anything else.
“Thieves in Manchester dug a 100ft (30m) underground tunnel to get to a cash machine.
Thieves dug the tunnel directly under the cash machine and used machinery to cut through more than 15in (38cm) of concrete to steal the money. The tunnel started from a railway embankment at the rear of the shop, and went under a car park and beneath the foundations of the store.
The passageway was about 4ft (1.2m) tall and had been fitted with lighting and roof supports.
However, the thieves only escaped with about £6,000 – because the machine had not been re-filled after the New Year bank holiday.”
My first weird news item for a while:
“A WOMAN dropped her pants at a museum and rubbed her rear end all over a painting valued at $30 million, according to police.
Carmen Tisch, 36, was arrested after scratching, punching and, well, rubbing her butt against Clyfford Still’s “1957-J no.2″ and causing an estimated $10,000 damage to the artwork at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver. Police believe she was drunk during the late December incident.
…
The oil-on-canvas abstract expressionist painting was spared additional damage when the woman tried to urinate on it but apparently missed.”
Well, that was lucky. Mind you, it doesn’t look the sort of thing I’d spend £30 on, let alone $30 million. Nor does she, if you know what I mean.
So, once again, it was off on Air New Zealand to the other side of the world to be with our son and his family, staying at Finnimore House again with the lovely Willy and Kathleen as our hosts.
As last year, the first full day there was also the girls’ Christmas Playgroup session and this time I got to play Santa.
Again, as last year, the weather was cold, damp and windy in Wellington for the first few days until the Southerly winds died away. Suddenly there were clear skies and dangerously bright sunshine. I had taken along a UV meter; in the UK level 7 is regarded as the dangerous maximum UV level. The first time I switched it on it read 14 and rose to 15 in the early afternoon, with a recommended maximum exposure time of 12 minutes. Time for high factor sunblock and a hat.
I’d remembered a surprising level of detail of Wellington’s roads and didn’t need the SatNav at all while there. We visited several beaches on our own or with the family. The water was cold but many locals were also enjoying the sunshine.
We went along with Tess, her Dad and James for her 20 week scan. Everything looks fine and it’s going to be another girl. Thank you, Tess, for those precious moments.
Christmas day began, of course, with much opening of presents by and for the girls. Lunch was BBQ porterhouse steaks (thank you, Pete) etc in the garden making use of the new furniture (including the essential parasol) we’d bought them.
By now, Mollie’s listlessness and lack of appetite had made itself clear as a bad case of Chicken Pox. Strangely, Summer was showing no such signs and still isn’t as I write this. Mollie’s potty training was made more difficult by her sickness but success was growing.
Back in Wellington, we took the girls to local parks and the swimming pool and, on the last fine day before the fine weather broke, to Zealandia – a nature park close to the heart of the City. A whole month’s rain in the next two days put paid to any more outdoor activities and, all too soon, it was time to leave.
All the photos are on Flickr and several of the places we visited have been reviewed on Trip Advisor.
Happily the house central heating, left on low, hadn’t failed and the weather was mild for early January so it wasn’t too traumatic to be back in the UK.
In an interview with ABC News’ Barbara Walters, the increasingly isolated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad answers a question about children being dragged from their homes and arrested with a simple, “I don’t believe you.”
That was bad enough. He continued to separate himself and his government from any “violence against protesters [that] might have occurred”. But then, and this is one to hold up in front of him when the time comes, he said “We don’t kill our people… no government in the world kills its people, unless it’s led by a crazy person.” Â
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Just musing today:
